Cow's milk intolerance vs lactose intolerance

There are many who suffer from intolerance responses after drinking cows' milk. An intolerance to cow's milk can occur at any age, but is most commonly found in babies and in very young children. It is the protein in cow's milk that triggers an intolerance response in some children, which can cause them to be uncomfortable, unhappy or unwell.

Cow's milk intolerance vs lactose intolerance

Cow's milk protein intolerance is often confused with lactose intolerance.

An intolerance to lactose is the result of being unable to break down the milk sugar lactose and is quite different to cow's milk protein intolerance.

Lactose intolerance is actually quite rare in babies and young children, and tends to develop in older children and adults.

IMPORTANT!

Cow's milk allergy is a serious condition and should not be confused with cow's milk intolerance. If your child is known to suffer from a cow's milk allergy, you should consult your doctor or paediatrician before consuming any milk variety.

What causes cow's milk intolerance?

Cow's milk contains two major protein groups, casein and whey. Beta-casein is the main casein protein, and the most common forms of this are A1 and A2. Most dairy cows in Australia are A1, so-called because they produce milk with A1 protein.

A much smaller group of dairy cows produce milk containing just the A2 protein, and many sufferers of cow's milk intolerance find that they can tolerate cow's milk that contains the A2 protein only.

As most fresh milk brands contain both A1 and A2 proteins, it is important to identify A2 milk in the supermarket if you are aiming to try milk containing the A2 protein only.